It’s the first of eight straight games — seven of them region contests — against Class 7A opponents.

Last week, Hewitt-Trussville got off to a horrid start against Gardendale. The Rockets returned an interception for a touchdown and led the Huskies 24-7 at halftime. Hewitt-Trussville amassed 12 penalties in that half, and 19 for the game.

But the second half was much different. Hewitt-Trussville clicked on all cylinders offensively, and the defense held Gardendale to just 50 yards of offense and zero points.

Tuscaloosa County last week opened its season with a 34-12 win over rival Northridge. The Wildcats scored 20 points in the second half to put the game away. Tuscaloosa County seemed to struggle in the passing game, completing just nine of its 22 attempts for 101 yards. Rushing the ball proved to be the difference for Tuscaloosa County.

Hewitt-Trussville will need to limit its mistakes at Tuscaloosa County this week. Hewitt-Trussville last week converted on fourth-and-9 after a false start added five yards to the distance needed. That drive, early in the fourth quarter, led to the game-tying field goal.

Expect a lot of running plays in this game from both teams. Big plays should be hard to come by, so a long rush here and there, and mistake-free football, are keys to this game.

Last season, Tuscaloosa County posted a 7-4 record in Class 6A, Region 5.